Fact Check: Singapore woman in viral video arrested for biting man, not for not wearing mask
By Newsmeter Network Published on 23 Oct 2020 11:37 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A video of a woman being arrested in Singapore for not wearing a mask in public has gone viral on social media.
A Twitter user shared the video and wrote, "In Singapore, if no mask, straight arrest. No sympathy." This tweet has over 2,100 retweets. (archived tweet)
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FACT CHECK:
This claim that the woman was arrested for not wearing a mask is FALSE.
NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found a report by Asia One which said, "A woman was arrested at Novena Square on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 13) after allegedly pouring a bowl of soup on a stranger, biting him and spitting at him, the police confirmed to AsiaOne."
Another report by The Independent also stated the same.
The Singapore ministry of health, on its website, does not mention "arrest" as punishment for not wearing masks. It states that first-time offenders will be issued composition offers of $300 while repeat offenders will face higher fines.
Hence, the claim that the viral video shows a woman being arrested in Singapore for not wearing a mask is FALSE.
